Keywords

Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Cybercrime, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cyber Security

Abstract

Cryptocurrencies are one of the most prominent applications of blockchain systems. While cryptocurrencies promise many features and advantages, such as decentralization, anonymity, and ease of access, those very features can be abused. For instance, as documented in various recent works, cryptocurrencies have been frequently abused in many different forms of cybercrime. Despite the plethora of works on measuring and understanding the abuse of cryptocurrencies in the digital space, there has been no work on systemizing this knowledge by comprehensively understanding those contributions, contrasting them based on their merit, and understanding the gap in this research space.

This thesis initiates the systematic review and understanding of the literature on cryptocurrencies and their utilization in cybercrime. Starting with a rich set of research efforts published exclusively at some of the most highly selective avenues in the cyber security research community, we built a taxonomy of cryptocurrencies, enumerating the most prominent ones based on their use. We then categorize the literature in this space based on the objectives of the tools built and the blockchain systems they target. We then extend our effort by categorizing the reviewed work on cybercrime based on the type of attacks (coordinated vs. individual fraud) and targeted entity (marketplace vs. exchange). Each of those elements in our taxonomy enumerates various aspects of abuse, including their use in underground forums, the trade of drugs, weapons, and stolen credentials, money laundering, malware distribution, ransomware, etc. Accompanying our review, we discuss the gaps in research that call for further investigation.

Completion Date

2023

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Mohaisen, David

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Computer Science

Degree Program

Cyber Security and Privacy

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

DP0028045

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0028045

Language

English

Release Date

December 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Share

COinS